Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This Government has very much built on the progress Fine Gael and the Labour Party made together. We intend to build on it still further. The next step, which we will taken later next year, is to extend free GP care to children aged seven and eight. The year after that, it will be extended to children aged nine and ten, and the year after that to those aged 11 and 12. That does not preclude us from also doing other things by changing income limits, but that is our current plan.

The incremental approach is right. When I was introducing free GP care for children aged under six, I remember seeing the research from health experts and all of the people who go on the radio and tell us about health expertise. They said there would not be a big increase in attendance of GP services by those under six. They were wrong because there was. We know that now. When free GP care for children aged under six was introduced there was a big increase in attendance at GP surgeries, particularly at out-of-hours services. I do not want to do this too quickly and overwhelm the capacity of general practice to deliver. The NHS is a pretty good health system, but people using it have to go on waiting lists to see their GPs. A two-week or three-week wait to see a GP is normal in the NHS. I know that happens in Ireland, but it is pretty uncommon. I do not want us to overwhelm the capacity of primary care and general practice to deliver. That is why I think it is better to do this in an incremental manner, and that is what we have decided to do.

Legislation is required to deliver on the commitments. It is relatively straightforward. The Minister for Health is working on it. We think we can have that through the Houses before Christmas, or if not, in the early part of next year. It requires consultation with GPs on fees. However, because we have agreed with the GPs that this will not be compulsory and they do not have to provide the service, it does not require negotiation to be concluded. We just need to consult GPs on fees. They can then decide whether they want to opt in to providing care to children aged seven and eight.

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